Loading apparatus.



Y PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908..` T. S. MILLER 6r, J. H. DICKINSON,

LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 2a. 190e.

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No. 883,115.- PATBNTED MALLA, 190s. 'l

T. s. MILLER & J. H. DILKINSON.

LOADING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1906.

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I 5141) ofcs v No. 883,115. PATENTBD MAR. 24, 1908. I'. s. MILLER J. H..DIGKINSON.

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LOADING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED Imm 2s. 1906.

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` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, OF SOUTH ORANGE, AND JOSEPH H. DIGKINSON, OFMONTCLAIR. NEW JERSEY.

' LOADING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, THoMAs SPENCER MILLER and JOSEPH H. DICKINsoN,citizensv of the United States, and residents of South Orange, in thecounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, and Montclair, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, respectively, have invented certain noveland useful Improvements in Loading Apparatus, of which the following isa specification.

Our present invention pertains to loading apparatus and has particularapplication to certain novel and useful improvements in the class ofapparatus referred to, adapted particularly to logging, although it isto be understood that it may be used for any purposes where it may befound convenient.

In carrying out our invention it is our intention to provide a loadingapparatus adapted particularly for loading logs onto cars.

To the accomplishment of this and other ends of a similar nature ourinvention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein by way of illustration we havedelineated one embodiment of our invention, Figure 1 is a view in sideelevation of an apparatus embracing our im rovements and showing themanner of emp oying the same in lifting logs; Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof such apparatus. Fig. 3 is a view of the modified form of apparatus.

In logging operations it is usually the custom to convey logs from adistant point to a lace adjacent to a railroad and then such ogs areloaded upon cars. One means of loading the logs upon the cars is tosecure a cable to a tree, commonly known as a head tree, located at theside of the track, pass said cable diagonally across the track andsecure the opposite end to a suitable support. On this cable asupporting block is suspended and there is employed in connection withthe a paratus suitable gripping mechanism for tige logs. The hoistingrope to which the tongs or gripping mechanism is secured is operated andthe logs elevated thereby to a point over the cars and also onto thelatter.

It is our purpose to provide a movable platform designed to travel alongthe track and to be established in a stationary position straddling thetrack whereby the logging or flat cars may pass therebeneath, and weprovide such platform with a suitable support such as a tower, s ar orthe like, designed to takethe place of t e ordinary head spar which, ashas been heretofore stated, is located to one side of the track. To thissupporting tower or spar, if desired, we may secure the main skiddingcable, and provide bearings for the guy ropes of the same. Furthermore,this supporting spar upon the platform will, it will be noted, belocated directly over the trackI and not to one side, as has been thecustom. And this spar carries the su porting cable for the loadingapparatus. It 1s desired that the loading block carried by thesupporting cable be sustained in a position directly above andapproximately in line over the center of the track and it is our furtherintention to provide means for attaining this end.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter Adesignates a frame which is preferably designed to be moved along thetrack from place to place by being carried upon the cars, or upon othertraction means, and through the means of jacks or legs a is jacked abovethe track, such legs resting upon the ends of the ties so that the carsmay pass beneath,v Carried by this frame A is a tower or support B, inthe present instance shown as pivoted at its base portion, as at 5, but,if desired, the tower may be permanently mounted upon the support;

that is to say, maintained at all times in its elevated position. Whenpivoted, however, such tower may be lowered or swung from anapproximately vertical position to a position horizontal of the trackand carried' by the cars from one place to another. Upon the frame A isalso mounted an engine designated as an entirety by the letter O, saidengine being of any well known type, such as the Lidgerwood engine, andembraces in its construction a plurality of drums for operating variousropes of the skidder. As this engine is a well known construction itneed not be described here in detail but the engine is simplyillustrated conventionally. A second engine O also of any suitableconstruction, is mounted upon the frame, preferably adjacent to thetower and is intended to operate the loading device.

D is the main skidding cable which extends from the tower to a suitabletail tree at a distant point and it is along this cable that the logsare brought to a position adjacent to the track.

l d, d designate suitable guys or heel block extensions or main cableextensions for holding the main cable. is a heel block rope employed inthe operation of raising and lowering the main cable.

The supporting cable of the loading device, which is indicated at 6, issecured, as at 7, to the tower or spar and is connected at its oppositeend 8 with a suitable coupling plate 9, such plate forming practically alink between the cable and the diverging guy ropes 10 and 11, whichropes extend to opposite sides of the track and are looped or otherwisesecured to stumps or other anchoring devices 12, 12, the arrangementbeing such that a car or cars may pass easily between the guy ropes andbeneath the block. Suspended in the present instance from the plate 9 isa pulley block or pilot sheave 13 designed to receive the loading rope14 which carries at its free end the gripping tongs 15 and also passesover a suitable sheave 16 preferably carried by the tower, such loadingrope then extending down through the tower 'to the drum 17 of the enineC. g By the construction just mentioned it will be seen that the loadingblock 13 is maintained in its desired position above the track andpreferably approximately over the center of the track.

1f desired, we may make use of the construction shown in Fig. 3. In suchiigure the load-supporting cable 6a extends from the head tower to astump at one side of the track and a deflecting stay rope 10EL isconnected to the cable and tends to maintain the loading block in properposition approximately above the center of the track. An additional stayrope 112L may also be used in connection with this construction to holdthe -loading block or carriage against movement.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the construction and operation of our improvement will bereadily apparent. The logs are carried from the woods by the cablewayskidder, or other suitable means, to a point adjacent to the track andthe hoisting rope 14 carrying the tongs 15 is fastened to the log in themanner shown in Fig. 1. rlhe engine is then started and the log islifted or elevated to a position above the cars and then loweredthereon. By this simple arrangement of a portable head spar supporting acable extending approximately parallel with the track, guys coupled tosaid cable and straddling the track, and a sheave or pulley blocksuspended at a point approximately above the center of the track, andthe hoisting rope and tongs operated from the platform or frame, thelogs may be quickly and readily loaded upon the cars. In addition,

an apparatus may be moved from place to i place much more readily and inbetter position than it has heretofore been possible to do with themethods employed.

In the drawings, the track is indicated by E and the tower is shown inits elevated or operative position with the frame straddling t e track.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. The combinationwith a support erected above the track, of a cable connected to saidsupport and extending parallel with and above the track, a sheavesuspended from said cable and a hoisting ropepassing over said sheave.

2. The combination, with a support erected above the track, of a cableconnected to said support, guy ropes coupled to said cable and extendingto opposite sides of said track, a sheave suspended above the track, ahoisting rope passing over said sheave and an engine for operating saidrope.

3. The combination with a frame, a support erected thereon, a cableconnected to said support, guy ropes coupled to said cable, a sheavesuspended at the point of coupling of the cable and guy ropes, ahoisting rope passing over said sheave, log gripping means connected tosaid hoisting rope and means for `operating, the hoisting rope.

4. The combination, with a frame, of a support erected thereon, a cableconnected to said support, diverging guys coupled to said cable, ahoisting rope, an engine for operating said rope and means forsuspending said rope adjacent to the point of coupling of the cable andthe guy ropes.

5. The combination of a frame adapted to straddle a railway track and topermit the passage of cars therebeneath upon the track, a pivotedsupport carried by the frame, a cable connected to said support andextendinlgl above the track, rope suspending means, a oisting rope, andan engine for actuating said hoisting rope.

6. The combination of a frame adapted to straddle a track, a cableextending in line with and above said track at a point between the railsthereof, means for holding said cable in such position, a hoisting ropeand an engine for operating said rope.

7. The combination of a portable frame, a pivoted tower or spar carriedthereby, a loadsupporting cable connected to the tower, means forstaying the cable at the opposite end, a hoisting rope in suspendedengagement with the cable, and an engine for operating said hoistingrope.

8. The combination of a portable frame adapted to permit the passage ofcars upon a track therebeneath, a spar or tower mounted upon said frameand adapted to swing from an approximately vertical to an approximatelyhorizontal position, a main cable supported by the tower, and 'aload-supporting l approximately parallel with and above the cable alsosupported by the tower. Center of the track.

9. The combination with a ortable frame In testimony whereof we havesigned our or platform adapted to stradfile a track in a names in thepresence of two subscribing 15 5 manner to permit the passage of oarsbeneath witnesses.

the latiorm, of a vertical` swinging tower A carried by the platform anda cable way in supported engagement with said tower.

10. In a loading apparatus the oombina- Witnesses: 10 tion of aload-supporting cable7 and means R. B. CAVANAGH,

Jfor maintaining said oable in a line extending Jos. J. PIERANDO.

